Meanwhile Fellows/O'Connell/Papis continued to motor on and moved up the chart. Flawless pit stops and incident-free driving brought the yellow C5-R across the checkered flag at 10:32 p.m. at Fourth overall and First in GTS. The Corvette
finished the race 22 laps ahead of the Second place GTS Ferrari 575. Johnny O'Connell became the first driver in Sebring history to have six class wins at this historic race. The victory circle was filled with a lot of smiling Corvette Racing team members. But the biggest smile we saw was on the face of GM's new racing boss Doug Duchardt. Victories do that to people.
What ever happened to the car and crew of that 1972 Sebring victory? The '69 L88 was found and restored by Kevin McKay and is now in a private collection in California. Dave Heinz passed away some years ago, but he is still remembered for his amazing driving skills. Bob Johnson lives in Marietta, Ohio, and still retains his wonderful sense of humor. Toye and Dana English own a successful Chevrolet dealership in Florida. Their early success as race team owners paid big dividends for them in business. As Team VETTE stood in victory lane watching the celebration, it was easy to remember that amazing Corvette victory that stood unbeaten for thirty-two years.
Oliver Gavin passed 18 cars...
Oliver Gavin passed 18 cars on the first lap. Eight minutes into the race, he passed Fellows (background) to take the GTS lead.
Not exactly a nice way to...
Not exactly a nice way to finish a race. The No. 4 is seen being towed back to the pits though the Sebring spectator area on its way to retirement.
Sebring race goers are famous...
Sebring race goers are famous for their partying. Here two race fans took a moment to quench their thirst before throwing beads to member of the opposite sex.
Johnny O'Connell and Ron Fellow...
Johnny O'Connell and Ron Fellow changed places during this dusk pit stop for the leading No. 3 GTS Corvette.
Ron Fellows pushed the C5-R...
Ron Fellows pushed the C5-R through the night towards matching the Heinz/Johnson 1972 Fourth-place overall finish.
The C5-R streaked across the...
The C5-R streaked across the Sebring finish line to take its well-earned checkered flag. The single green streak of light on the car denotes the GTS class leader.
Johnny O'Connell (left), Ron...
Johnny O'Connell (left), Ron Fellows, and Max Papis celebrate their Sebring GTS class victory.
Johnny O'Connell (left), Ron...
Johnny O'Connell (left), Ron Fellows, and Max Papis bask in the glory of the victory circle celebration.